The Nhava Sheva customs seized red sanders worth Rs45 lakh after it raided a yard at Kalamboli on Thursday.
According to sources, the container was parked at Tata yard of IK Marine, Kalamboli.
“We had information that the container was parked in the yard, following which we raided
it. We recovered red sanders weighing up to 5,680kg,” an officer told HT, adding that Kalamboli is fast becoming a hub for transit of illegally smuggled red sanders. “We came to know that containers were being loaded here in Kalamboli after they are smuggled into the city from south India,” the source added.
He said that the documents recovered from the yard show that red sanders were to be smuggled out to Sharjah.
Explaining the modus operandi, the officer said that drivers are informed about the place where the vehicles are to be parked. “After the vehicle is parked at a pre-decided place, the smugglers wait for 2-3 days before loading wood. They ensure that the vehicle is not being watched while loading wood,” he added.
Ashok Kumar, superintendent of customs of the central intelligence unit, confirmed the raid and said that no arrests have been made yet. “We have recorded the statement of the driver and are on the lookout for at least two person,” an officer said.